Approximately 100 students at Gwendolyn Brooks Middle School staged a brief walkout at lunchtime Friday, Jan. 30 to protest the actions of the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and recent events in Minneapolis and elsewhere.
“Earlier this morning, staff became aware that a group of students was planning to participate in a walkout as part of protests taking place across the country related to immigration enforcement,” said Brooks Principal April Moriarty in a letter sent to Brooks families on Jan. 30. “District 97 does not prohibit students from participating in peaceful protests. When students choose to walk out, they are allowed to exit peacefully. Our priority in these situations is always student safety.”
Moriarty said in the letter that she met with the students organizing the walkout and talked over options with them.
“Student leaders indicated that the group would meet at the Washington (Blvd.) exit,” Moriarty wrote. “To ensure their safety, our team proactively organized and positioned staff around the perimeter of the building, as well as the front and back of the student group.
“About 100 students chose to walk out at the beginning of our seventh-grade lunch period. Students exited calmly, marched around the school property twice, and then returned to the building and to class without incident.”
